I thought this was an improvement over last week. Like how they incorporated the Black Hawks into the story. That felt very organic. Wished they had done more with Browder, or saved him to play a recurring character.

The whole Diggle-Gaynor thing was a little predictable but well played enough.

I liked Thea's role a lot in this episode and how she might get Oliver to see his mother in a different light. The Tommy-Laurel-Malcolm dinner didn't do much for me. I'm not feeling Barrowman as Malcolm too much. He's a little too evil, and though his role reminds me some of Willem Dafoe and John Glover, it doesn't quite have Dafoe's edge or Glover's gleefulness. I wish he had come into this with a little more sympathetic portrayal, or played someone other than Tommy's dad. I did like the King Arthur reference.

What an epic episode, I can't see I didn't see the twist coming but the reveal was still good. Still the island flashback twist did shock me. It's funny I'd actually jokingly entertained that the Chinese guy in the balaclava Yao Fei.

The action (as always in this show) was fantastic, the opening where the Blackhawks raided the armoured truck was superb and the Arrow vs Blackhawks shoot out was superb. The finale was brilliant, Arrow vs Knox was sweet and I loved when Arrow killed Diggle's mate (this was one episode where killing the bad guy seemed really right for once).

Once again the flashbacks were intense, I really wish I could see even more of them but I guess I have to be patient.

Loved seeing a brief glimpse of Merlyn's lair, guess with Tommy mentioning his Dad been away for years is when he did his training. Speaking of Barrowman , he continues to impress me on this show. He's very much a cold hearted bastard, I think Lionel Luther has some serious competition.

I loved how they mentioned Vertigo, was a nice lead in for next weeks episode.

I'd have given it a high 9.5 but seen as though we don't have that option ill just give it a 10.

Great ep! Too bad I am going to be dissapointed by the horrible job they did on Vertigo next.

__________________Beliefs - Christian. Anti-Republican. Anti-Gun. Complete separation of church and state. Freedom of speech. Freedom to practice any religion in public. Less focus on foreign lands and more focus on our own problems.